Return of Phoebe Bridgers

Phoebe Bridgers—”Lost Boys”

It's been six years since the singer last released a solo project, and she's achieved plenty in the meantime. Alongside her band Boygenius, she picked up three Grammys and joined Taylor Swift on the biggest tour in the world. A lengthy absence inevitably builds expectation after expectation.

Sense that a new era for Bridgers was beginning heightened when posters advertising a series of private, phone-free performances by the singer appeared. The concept mirrors the no-phone policy that will be in place throughout her upcoming “Lost” tour later this year. It's an unusual approach—one that few major artists have embraced on this scale—but it reflects a growing emphasis on living in the moment rather than experiencing a concert through a screen. It also opens up a broader question about whether artists should be allowed to take this approach.

Punisher was among the most critically acclaimed albums of 2020. You could isolate a track on the record and make a strong case that it marks a songwriting peak for the artist. We’re especially partial to the title track and “I Know the End.”

The new track, co-produced by Jack Antonoff and co-written by Bridgers’ alleged boyfriend Bo Burnham, signals what feels like a new era beginning. It blends the singer’s warm vocal presence with lyrics that feel pointed and cutting. “Whеn you threw a tantrum with a .57 and broke a rib/You told me you wish you wеre dead/But I don't believe that/I still wonder how you're sleeping,” she sings. You might even miss her saying it if you’re caught up in the groove of the song. The bridge slows everything down before snapping into a “1, 2, 3!” screech.

There’s no sense that Bridgers has been gone at all.

Sombr—”My Body Isn’t Ready”

Sombr’s recent momentum includes being selected by Taylor Swift to perform at her Songwriters Hall of Fame induction. Swift appears to be guiding the young artist’s rise, which feels fitting for a songwriter working through scrutiny, heartbreak and the inevitability of your twenties. There’s a clear appeal in Sombr’s songwriting that Swift seems to recognize, especially in a lyrical style that feels richly world-building. The song opens with him pointing out that it’s the Fourth of July.

The singer has a strong ear for catchy melodies, but the production here doesn’t stray far from “Back to Friends” (a great song, by the way). Again, the song’s strongest element is its lyrics.

It’s worth noting that Sombr writes and produces all of his own music, which is pretty impressive for his age.

Gracie Abrams—”Look at My Life”

On this song, the production stands out immediately, but the songwriting doesn’t quite deliver a hook that sticks. It’s a problem that also showed up on “Hit the Wall.”

The album’s main shortcoming may be Abrams’s wordy lyricism, which often feels like it could benefit from being more concise. These two songs don’t deliver the same “this is a hit” feeling that “That’s So True” and “I Love You, I’m Sorry” did. But it’s possible the singer isn’t looking for that at all; we can’t really know.

Katy Perry—”Watch It Burn”

The issue with Katy Perry in recent years is that she hasn’t been able to land a song that really sticks. “Bandaids” was an interesting experiment, but the mix felt overcooked and overly loud. It stands in stark contrast to the pop peak she once occupied, when she scored five No. 1 hits from a single album. The gap between then and now is hard to ignore.

The chorus (“Tonight’s the night/I light a match and throw it hard behind my back”) feels a little clunky, but the song still stands as one of her stronger recent releases. The bridge bears an eerie resemblance to Nine Inch Nails’ “Head Like a Hole.”

Charli xcx—”Wink Wink”

The standout issue in Charli’s current era is the brevity of the songs. While the production is consistently strong, the tracks often feel incomplete. It reflects a growing trend in pop music toward shorter, replay-driven songs, but it doesn't always land and can leave the listener feeling cut off rather than drawn back in. “Wink Wink” is strong, though. The tongue-in-cheek tone is clear from the title alone. Charli has developed a distinctive sound for this era.

The opening lyric is a real shock to the system.

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—Dawson Therre

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